Suchergebnisse

MANY HAVE ARGUED THAT THE NATURE OF TERRORISM HAS SHIFTED IN RECENT YEARS, PARTICULARLY DUE TO THE THREAT OF TERRORIST USE OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION SUCH AS CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, OR EVEN NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THIS ARTICLE ARGUES THAT A LOOK AT THE LONG-TERM TRENDS REVEALS REMARKABLY LITTLE CHANGE IN THE NATURE OF TERRORISM. THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT ORGANIZATIONAL TERRORISM CANNOT CHANGE. MOREOVER, THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TERRORIST WARFARE IS LIMITED, PARTLY BY THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS FORM OF STRUGGLE AND PARTLY BY THE PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH TERRORISTS OPERATE.

THIS ESSAY DESCRIBES TERRORISM AS A MODE OF WARFARE AND EXAMINES ITS UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS, BY COMPARING THIS METHOD OF STRUGGLE TO OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENT CONFLICT. IT FURTHER EMPHASIZES THE ROLE OF TERRORISM AS A STRATEGY OF INSURGENCE AND DELINEATES THE MAIN STRATEGIC IDEAS BY WHICH TERRORISTS' SUCCESS IN OBTAINING POLITICAL GOALS AND THE CONDITIONS WHICH AFFECT THEIR ABILITY TO MATERIALIZE THEIR OBJECTIVES. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT THE MODE OF STRUGGLE ADOPTED BY INSURGENTS IS DICTATED BY CIRCUMSTANCES RATHER THAN BY CHOICE, AND THAT WHENEVER POSSIBLE, INSURGENTS USE CONCURRENTLY A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES OF STRUGGLE. TERRORISM, WHICH IS THE EASIEST FORM OF INSURGENCY, IS PRACTICALLY ALWAYS ONE OF THESE MODES.

SINCE 1968 INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM HAS GROWN CONSIDERABLY, DESPITE GOVERNMENTS' EFFORT TO CURB IT. PART OF THIS FAILURE IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE INADEQUATE CONTRIBUTION OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH TO GOVERNMENT POLICY MAKING ON TERRORISM. THIS ARTICLE IDENTIFIES THREE PROBLEM AREAS THAT HINDER ACADEMIC INFLUENCE ON GOVERNMENT POLICY MAKING IN THIS FIELD. IT STATES THAT PREFERENCE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO SUBJECTS OF STUDY WHERE THE ACADEMIC HAS A RELATIVE ADVANTAGE OVER GOVERNMENT IN DEPTH AND RIGOR. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT ACADEMIC INFLUENCE ON GOVERNMENT DECISION MAKING WOULD BE SERVED BEST BY AN EXCHANGE OF PEOPLE BETWEEN ACADEMIA AND GOVERNMENT.

The book presents the first direct, scientifically rigorous, psychological examination of the personality characteristics and motivation of suicide bombers. The feelings and behavior of the perpetrators are described in their own words. Taking into account also social and political factors, the book offers a comprehensive and innovative analysis of suicide terrorism